Axa Report Raises Questions on Car Data Ownership & Sharing

In a post-GDPR landscape, the question of who gets your data and what they do with it is a serious one for any company, or government department. Everyone in the insurance sector knows the value of in-car data from driverless vehicles, or even semi-autonomous is gold dust. Who is driving, when an event took place that caused the gyro to move suddenly, the exact geo location of the daily commute, parking places etc.

It needs clarification, otherwise the Police, DVLA, insurance companies, car manufacturers and others, will all have a merry time flogging the data to any third party who fancies knowing that you parked outside the Travel Tavern on the A500 three times in the last year.

Axa and Burges Salmon have published a report which places a price tag of £32 billion on this data by 2025 – so who gets that cash? As members of the FLOURISH consortium, both companies have urged government and industry stakeholders to create a ‘data map’ to clarify who will need access to passengers’ data, what this data will consist of, and when it will be used.

The map will increase consumer trust and provide clarity into what personal information passengers will be sharing when using CAVs. Trust is a key talking point of the report, highlighting how 94% of consumers need to trust a company in order to share personal data with them.

The report also investigates the issue of cybersecurity and suggests measures to protect both CAVs and their passengers. It notes that ‘lifetime system security is a key consideration for the CAV ecosystem’, as 36% are nervous about cyber-attacks on driverless cars.

What is personal data worth?

It is estimated that by 2025 the value of data to the driverless market will be £32 billion per year. To understand this further, AXA commissioned research2 into how consumers value their personal data. The results show the average person believes their basic data (name, age, address) is worth £119, while data regarding where they travel to, from and how often is worth £120.

Type of Data

Perceived average worth in £s

Telematics data

(driving performance in varying conditions)

£109

Basic personal data

(name, age, address etc.)

£119

Trip data

(locations travelled to and from and how often)

£120

Special data

(religion, ethnicity, place of birth etc.)

£127

Medical data

(GP notes, medical conditions etc.)

£166

“CAVs will only become a reality if users trust us with their personal data. This data is integral for driverless vehicles to provide reduced congestion, fewer accidents and better mobility for all. This report shows how the government, car manufacturers, software developers and insurers need to work together to understand how, and when, motorists’ data should be used.”– David Williams, Technical Director, AXA UK

“The FLOURISH Year 2 report has set the groundwork for both the conversations and the actions that need to take place surrounding personal data. Without this data, CAVs will no longer become a reality, so it is imperative we get this right. What’s more, it highlights the importance of security measures required to protect this data in a world where cyber-threats are constantly changing.” – Chris Jackson, Head of Transport Sector, Burges Salmon

The report raises the question on who should be the ‘data controller’ (i.e. the person or body legally in charge of data) of the information gathered by CAVs. According to AXA’s research, 20% feel that this should be the government, while 16% think a new driverless car regulatory body should be created. Only 5% said the manufacturer of the vehicle should be the data controller.

However, when asked who the data controller should be allowed to share this information with, two thirds said the emergency services, 45% said insurers and 41% said breakdown services. In fact, almost 70% of people said they would share their data if it improved road safety.

To read the FLOURISH Insurance and Legal Report 2018 in full, visit the AXA website.

AXA and Burges Salmon are members of the FLOURISH consortium, alongside partners from large and small businesses, academia, the not-for-profit sector and local authorities.